I think that the issues that are addressed here are so true.... Samoans are so proud of their culture... we are so proud that no matter where we are in the world, we dress n behave as if we were still in Samoa. But I would bet a million dollars( If I had any) that a large percentage of our youths are more fluent in english rather thaN Samoan...( i myself being one of them). A lot of us nowadays can make write an english essay that even Shakespeare himself would be so proud, but when it comes to writing an essay in Samoan, we can only write but a few sentences..... Then we have to rely on our relatives from the villages to help us with our samoan essays. Well this is a very bad problem, but in order to do this we must start from the bottom..... we must start from the primary skools, the kindergartens, encourage Samoan in skools... we must give the samoan language an equal footing with english in Samoan skools.... this is the only way that would ensure that we can revive our Samoan literature and also our language that is being eroded by domination of english....

just some helpful tips to help the author of this article......

and da fa soifua,
Aletata from Vanuatu.

Great to read the article above, I agree with the demise our own culture is taking in relation to the rampant hold of not only the English language but also the Western way of living and thinking in Samoan people today.
The environment one is raised in is very important - therefore when our people migrate to Western cultures in search of prosperities - these may most likely come with the risk of a decline in ones cultural identity including language etc. My father who was an amazing Samoan person in language and understanding foresaw the cultural erosion in the early 90's - to honour his legacy it is a drive today to maintain the Samoan way etc

If we as Samoans wish to grasp and move ahead then we need to realise that the Samoan language will not take us very far unless of course you're ordering fly pankakis......or Deep fried Pancakes at the market. We talk about the past yet this very notion and emotion will keep us in the past. I'm a sinic and very negative when culture is used as an excuse to progress forward. What does progressing forward mean? It means that we as a nation will be able live with our hands in the pockets to give to the world where as the reality is that Samoans have their hands out in NZ, Australia, the US and so on....why? because we are fearful. We are people of ethnicity and whether we speak English, french, latin or greek, we will always be Samoan! To blame it on the Y generation? that's a dah! Especially if you're born in Samoa!! It's a contradiction! Please take a look at some of our or your regarded academics or people of position........dah You want our money but you don't want our education! It's a bit like our religious zealots in South Auckland.........Million dollar churches while the people struggle to put healthy food on the table and in children's lunch boxes!! yet we claim culture and fa'a Samoa and all that ........... stuff. Get real, Get professional, get ethical, get with it and get thinking!